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Resources
So clearly there are things that can assist you if you want to tackle the Dragon Book. There's a massive amount of reading that needs to be done to get to grips with the different influences in the system. I'll do my best to cover as much of it as possible. Chumbley (and probably others in the Column) was a voracious reader, and had an interest in a wide range of religions and esoteric traditions, which comes across very clearly throughout the Book- this means that you need to read just as voraciously to get to grips with what's going on under the hood of the system. I'll be adding things as I think of them, it's a work in progress. To start: Lunaf is a great site for information about lunar phases, dates, times etc. The DBoE is heavy on lunar timing, so it's a good idea to have a lunar calendar to hand. Cultus Sabbati Material A Few Words Upon Draconian Praxis This is an old Xoanon article by Robert Fitzgerald, who was in the Column of the Crooked Path (who devised the DBoE ritual scheme). It's since been taken down. Sabbatic Craft Reading List This is a booklist compiled by Xoanon on the subject of the Sabbatic Craft. Carlo Ginzburg is very good (I would also recommend his The Night Battles, a study of the Sabbat in practice). The Kenneth Grant stuff is directly relevant to the DBoE (due to Chumbley's Typhonian background), though some Grant material should be taken with a pinch of salt. The list also includes several CS authors who are worth reading. Cainite Gnosis and the Sabbatic Tradition An essay by Daniel Schulke (current Magister of the Cultus Sabbati) on the subject of Cain in various magical traditions. The mythos of Cain is crucial to understanding the DBoE, so it's worth reading up on it. Affliction and the Teratology of Spirit An interview with Peter Hamilton-Giles (a founding member of the Column of the Crooked Path), in which he discusses the creation of the DBoE ritual cycle, specifically the Voodoo influences that went into it. Thelemic Material Chumbley was an initiate of Kenneth Grant's Typhonian OTO (now the Typhonian Order), so a thorough understanding of Crowley's work and the Thelemic current is essential to understanding the DBoE. I'll update with specific works as their relevance is discovered. Kenneth Grant * 'Aleister Crowley and the Hidden God', * 'Nightside of Eden' Aleister Crowley * Liber DCLXXI vel Pyramidos ** This is essential reading for understanding the Rite of the Black Sun * Liber CCCCXVIII - The Vision and the Voice Golden Dawn Material An understanding of the 0=0 and 5=6 ceremonies of the GD is pretty essential for understanding the Black Sun rite. Israel Regardie - The Golden Dawn (aka 'The Black Brick') Pat Zalewski is an excellent source for some of the higher-level GD material as well. Qabalistic and Biblical Material The Book of Enoch is absolutely essential reading for understanding the Witchfathers and Witchmothers, as this appears to have been the source text for many of them. The Apocalypse of John (aka Revelation) is another key source of imagery- as much for interpreting certain Thelemic concepts underlying the book as for some of the imagery relating to the Dragon itself. Genesis is obviously a large source text for the Cainite material, so read that too. Tantric Material Chumbley was an initiate of the International Nath Order, so tantric influences abound in the DBoE. Read up all you can on Kaula to get an understanding of this. Iranian Material The Yazidi mythos of Melek Taus (the Peacock Angel) plays a large role in the DBoE. Not much of their material is readily available- translations of the Black Book and Book of Revelation can be found here, though I can't vouch for the quality of translation, or completeness. I'll update when more or better resources become available. Mandaean Material Mandaeism pops up in several places in the DBoE, so a knowledge of it is useful.